Indonesia searches for tsunami victims; toll 373

Where victims were found, yellow, orange and black body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead.

Update: 2018-12-25 01:35 GMT
Anak Krakatau volcano erupts in Sunda Straits off the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java. The death toll from the December 22 volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia has risen to 373. (Photo: AFP)

Tanjung Lesung: Efforts to collect hundreds of bodies and save the injured were stepped up in Indonesia on Monday following the country's latest tsunami, as scientists collected evidence on how a volcanic eruption triggered the weekend tragedy.

Casualty figures from Saturday night's disaster continued to rise, with at least 373 people confirmed dead and more than 1,400 injured.

The death toll was certain to rise further, with 128 people still missing from the affected areas along the coastlines of western Java and southern Sumatra islands, where hundreds of military personnel and volunteers were conducting their grim search along debris-strewn beaches.

Where victims were found, yellow, orange and black body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead. The waves that swept locals and tourists into the sea along the Sunda Strait followed an eruption and apparent landslide on Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatoa," one of the world's most infamous volcanic islands.

Hotels and homes were damaged by the waves. Broken chunks of concrete and splintered sticks of wood littered hard-hit coastal areas, turning popular beach areas into near ghost towns.     

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